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Deadline for registration17 October 2016

University Business Forum

The San Sebastián Aquarium

The San Sebastián Aquarium is one of the most popular attractions in the Basque Country, with 300,000 visits a year. It is an obligatory stop for all visitors to the city. The Aquarium stands in one of San Sebastián’s most picturesque spots, the harbour, right next to the Old Town, with its enormous gastronomic selection, and only a few minutes from the city centre.

The San Sebastián Aquarium occupies an emblematic building dating from 1928, with two floors dedicated to the maritime and marine heritage of Gipuzkoa. Particularly interesting is the skeleton of a northern right whale in addition to numerous tanks dedicated to the Bay of Biscay, in which you can view more than 200 species, not forgetting the famous 360º tunnel and a variety of tropical species.

Besides, the visit will allow to appreciate the role of the Aquarium as a key player in the Basque Innovation ecosystem, since it collaborates with the University of the Basque Country and the Technological Centre Azti-Tecnalia by deploying collaborative actions in the fields of training, research and dissemination of scientific and technological activities.

Tabakalera

Tabakalera is a centre for contemporary culture that has two purposes: to be a place of production and to offer a programme of public activities. These two aims run through every part of the project which revolves around creating, training based on reflection, and exhibiting. As well as being a place which helps artists and creators turn professional, it also puts together a programme for differents audiences and makes outreach tools available for the general public.

The main goal of Tabakalera's cultural project is to promote the creation of contemporary culture in different creative fields and in all its stages (research, production, exhibition), as well as to generate and share knowledge. With this aim in mind, it focuses on four lines of work that make up its programme: contemporary artistic practices, mediation, digital culture laboratories – Hirikilabs - and Tabakalera's creation library – Ubik -.

One of the key features of Tabakalera is its transversal nature, acting as a crossroads where different disciplines can coexist. Tabakalera aims to inspire reflection on contemporary issues via a programme of seminars, workshops, screenings, exhibitions and publications. It creates a critical community by supporting creation, knowledge and exhibition programmes that are aimed at both a specialist audience and the general public.

Besides the cultural project, institutions and projects that contribute towards creating a cultural ecosystem coexist in the building: The San Sebastian Film Festival, the Etxepare Basque Institute, the Basque Film Archive, the Kutxa Foundation and Zineuskadi. Private initiatives that develop their own projects are also part of it. Thus, the building houses different uses, initiatives and agents, with the cultural project as the backbone. This visit will allow to understand the role Tabakalera will play to catalyse public-private collaborations in order to develop culture as a driver of sustainable growth for the city of San Sebastian an the whole Basque Country.